THE inclusive development that President Rodrigo Duterte has been talking about is about cooperation between the private sector and the government sector, which is able to harness the greatest benefits for the people, especially the most vulnerable.
This was how the Co Su Gian Home for the Aged came to be.
Co Su Gian is the only center for care of senior citizens in the country that is fully supported by the local government’s social services and development office. The facility sits on a 6,829 square-meter lot donated by Henry Wee and named after his mother. It started as a meeting place for the Davao City Senior Citizens Federation in the 1980s. It was converted into a temporary shelter in 1993 after some senior citizens found themselves homeless.
For years, the Senior Citizens Federation ran the facility but due to lack of funds, it was later turned over to the City Government of Davao through the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) in 2012 during the term of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and then Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
When the father took over the reins again, the annual budget for Co Su Gian was sustained. With the City Government coming in, the facility then got a much-needed facelift as it was infused with a P15-million budget from the City Government as well as a P1-million donation from Pinoy Big Brother winner and now show host Ruben Gonzaga on that year. The city has since been allotting budget for the operations and maintenance of the center.
Currently home to a total of 47 elderlies with 24 males and 23 females, the facility now has more sleeping quarters and more space for recreational activities.
Co Su Gian Home for the Aged administrative assistant and social worker Nenita Lim told Sun.Star Davao in an interview that before sheltering the elderlies the CSSDO first conducts a screening while efforts are also exhausted to reintegrate the elderlies back to their families. But in the meantime, the elderlies are then housed in the facility. Their personal hygiene, nutrition and medical needs are taken care of by the nurses and caregivers. They also take part various recreational activities.
Among the highlights of the recreational activities is the Lolo and Lola ng Co Su Gian pageant. They are also treated to beach outings and movie viewings. Clients also take part in therapeutic and income-generating activities such as potholder, shawl, rug, and pillow-making, and vegetable-gardening. Because some of the clients are already sickly, Co Su Gian had also partnered with the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) to attend to their medical needs.
The staff also facilitates the burial of those who go ahead. “Daghan mi ug mga clients nga muingon nga mas pilion pa nila nga mag-stay diri kay mas maayo pa daw ilang kahimtang diri kaysa kung didto sila sa ilang mga relatives (We have many clients here who say that they would rather choose to stay here since they have a better situation here than staying with their relatives),” Lim said.
Lim said the facility is gunning for the Level 2 accreditation from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Standards Bureau from which they could gain cash incentives for the improvement of their facility and services.
Soon enough they will target the Center for Excellence accreditation where they could already boast a more advanced facility and well-organized service. They are also planning to put up a Green Park to add more space for recreational activities.
Supervising houseparent Joy Legaspino, for her part, said that while the elderly in the facility are generally satisfied by the services of the facility, there is still a need to appoint a resident doctor and more caregivers and nurses to improve the services.
For more information, contact Co Su Gian Home for the Aged through the CSSDO at (082)227-1617 or 225-0417.